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New Year = new look! A graphic print is an easy way to hit refresh on your work wardrobe.
This bold, geo-print dress has long cuffed sleeves for the cold months ahead, a fitted waist, and jewel neckline. In many ways, prints are easier to wear than solids on busy days — you don’t have to worry about accessorizing, and they hide stains and wrinkles. This one in white and navy is especially easy since you probably have shoes and a sweater or jacket that already match.
Maggy London’s Geo-Print Long-Sleeve Dress is $148 at Nordstrom and comes in sizes 0–16.
Kiyonna has a plus-size alternative that comes in two fun prints and is available in 1X–3X for $138 at Nordstrom.
Looking for other washable workwear? See all of our recent recommendations for washable clothes for work, or check out our roundup of the best brands for washable workwear.
Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; 60% off swim; up to 40% off everything else
- J.Crew – Mid-Season Sale: Extra 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off spring-to-summer styles
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Spring Mid-Season Sale: Up to 50% off 100s of styles
- Nordstrom: Free 2-day shipping for a limited time (eligible items)
- Talbots – Spring Sale: 40% off + extra 15% off all markdowns; 30% off new T by Talbots
- Zappos – 29,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Up to 70% off baby items; 50% off toddler & kid deals & 40% off everything else
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off spring faves; 25% off new arrivals; up to 30% off spring
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Up to 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off kids’ spring-to-summer styles
- Old Navy – 30% off your purchase; up to 75% off clearance
- Target – Car Seat Trade-In Event (ends 4/27); BOGO 25% off select skincare products; up to 40% off indoor furniture; up to 20% off laptops & printers
Anon says
Yeay!! A new post :) To kick us off — things that worked/didn’t work for you over the break?
Our thing that REALLY worked was implementing Secret Santa for our nuclear family. We think it’s important to have the kids participate in the buying/wrapping part of gift giving so they understand the mental lift associated with gift centric holidays, and each kid picked another kid or adult from our family. I was genuinely impressed at the gift selections that each kid made — even the 4 year old showed genuine thoughtfulness with the selections for their recipient. I will repeat this tradition next year! We also opened Secret Santa after the Christmas Eve church service, so the gifts weren’t lost in the morning shuffle.
Didn’t work — we needed a second location! By week 2, we all needed a change of scenery.
Mary Moo Cow says
What didn’t work was a cold/sinus/the flu hitting 3 of the 4 of us in a domino effect from December 18-24. Ugh. Also what didn’t work for DH was hosting my parents for 4 nights, then 3 days off before hosting my sister for 2 nights. So next year, no sickness and spacing out family visits!
What worked is having a playdate for DD8 one week into break and two days of a half day sewing camp with a friend for her in the second week of break; hitting the indoor pool a few days in week in each week of break; having some Kiwi Crates on hand for “I’m bored,” and paring down the number of gifts we gave to each child (I actually made good on my internal threat to withhold presents because they absolutely destroyed the house the first week of break and they said it was the best Christmas ever and were totally happy with the smaller amount of presents they did get.)
Anon says
Didn’t work for us with a 2.5 year old in a rear-facing car seat: drive thru christmas light show. Oh well, maybe next year.
Did work: husband rigged up a balloon drop for New Year’s via our upstairs landing which kid LOVED. We had the family over and we celebrated at 6 pm, haha. Next year we’ll work on reducing static cling so the string release works better.
Also, somehow, magically, this year felt like the year everyone decided the adults only need one or two gifts which was a relief. Even my mom was able to reign in her gift giving love.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Worked:
– Overall I like when we host DH’s family (mine is local); it makes it easier for us to handle kids in our own home (meals, toys, etc.) than at my MIL’s.
– DS #2’s preschool only closed for the 25-26th; we were out of town for a night after that, and I was thrilled to send him back on the 29th!
– General kid scheduling – Combo of home days + preschool (DS #2) + day camp (DS #1) + a few days/nights at my parents’ house = seems to be the sweet spot. Also one of DS #2’s classmates had a birthday party over the weekend and it was great for the kids to have that to burn energy.
Didn’t work (but glad we did it): We went out-of-town overnight to see DH’s family members in a neighboring city. I don’t think we thought through the sleeping accommodations well with everything else going on. DS #2, newly 3, was tough to put down at night in a new place, and then my MIL turned on a light for about 10 minutes without closing a door, flooding light into the shared space where we were all sleeping/trying to sleep, which woke up DS #2, and then he got to sleep on me for the rest of the night while DH and I shared an air mattress. MIL was butt-hurt that she didn’t get to snuggle with DS #2 (???) and complained the next AM about not getting a ton of sleep (and didn’t seem to connect the dots…) HOWEVER it was wonderful to spend time with that part of DH’s family – I really adore them, they are incredibly supportive and I always learn so much from them, and after several days of my MIL it was good respite. :)
anon says
Worked: We didn’t schedule much of anything besides Christmas Eve and Christmas day. It felt like we genuinely needed the downtime after a very busy fall.
Didn’t work: All that downtime at home meant that I felt like I was constantly cleaning and picking up after people. We probably should’ve scheduled a few more things outside our house.
Anon says
I feel this so hard. I always think that what I need is downtime at home but then it turns into the opposite of relaxing. Over the years I’ve gotten better at getting out of the house for rejuvenating activities and I’m glad for it.
anon says
Oh! One huge victory is that my kids sat down and wrote thank you cards to the aunts and uncles who sent gifts. Without much complaint at all. I couldn’t believe it!
anon says
I did the holiday week-at-home once and said never again. I’ve insisted on traveling for the week between X-mas and New Years for the past 3 years and love it. It’s an expensive time to travel, but so much better than spending my holiday as a maid.
Anon says
+1. It’s worth it.
Emma says
Worked – Christmas was really fun this year. My 15 month old had a blast tearing up all the wrapping paper, ate cookies, and generally had a great time. My parents were here for ten days and they were very sweet and helpful, and had a blast playing with their granddaughter. Everyone liked their gifts and I managed to purchase simple things (books, consumables) with minimal stress instead of obsessing on the perfect present.
Didn’t work – we all came down with some sort of flu and it was a bit of a downer. I was also hoping for a lot of winter fun (we live in Canada so you would think this would be a thing) but it was rainy and muddy with no snow, so it wasn’t the best time to be outside and my kid gets a little stir crazy after a while. We took a lot of random drives to the store.
anon says
Worked: We did Christmas activities the week before Christmas so we felt like we had lots of time for holiday cheer, then we went out of town for the second week so I didn’t get stuck w/ cleaning, cooking, and I’m boreds. It made for a very nice holiday.
Didn’t work: We went to NYC and my 7 yo decided that she really, really didn’t like crowds. They made her very uncomfortable and anxious, mostly because she’s short and gets penned in and cannot see anything except butts and backs. We’ll do travel other than to a super busy city next time.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Worked: Christmas Day and the day after. We kept both kids home the 26th (older kid was off anyway, younger kid had daycare) and the kids got lots of time at home to play with their presents. They played all morning at home with minimal arguments, which is a win for us. I took older kid skiing that Tuesday, which was also fun (though exhausting for me!) Sending older kid to camp or with grandparents the rest of the week was also good, as he needs to be out and about, and I was working anyway/husband was doing stuff around the house.
Didn’t work: The end of break, especially the last Sunday and Monday felt like a drag and both kids were restless and highly emotional/high strung. We needed to get out and do more stuff. Next year we might have a full week and a half off with the way the holidays line up, with both kids, so need to think through what to do!! We cannot all be home all day everyday. Though I hate traveling over the holidays.
AwayEmily says
We had a long break — 11 full days at home, eep. I also don’t love to travel over the holidays but we fit in a bunch of day trips. One to a waterpark, one to a childrens museum in a neighboring city, two skiing days.
Cb says
We spent 10 days at my parents and alternated local days with day trips to T castles and the beach (taught T to boogie board while the Portuguese gawped in horror at us in the Atlantic). He was living his best life, as was my husband, but I got a bit antsy after 6 days. Not enough external stimulus? I think we need to book a few couples outings and I need a project to do with my hands in the evening?
I think next year, we need to book my in laws for pre Christmas rather than post Christmas (cancelled anyways due to covid) so they feel more included in the seasonal festivities.
Also, we need a big Lego set as a present? Kiddo was sad when we did our early Christmas there was no Lego, and my dad made an emergency fnac trip.
Cb says
Oh also, I finally found a cinnamon roll recipe I love (scandibakes) and turns out consistently which was a real win.
Anonymous says
What worked- instead of buying kid presents far in advance (I am a planner), we saved a couple till the week before to get those last minute Santa requests. It was great! So magical for them to get what they asked for- luckily small easy things so very doable for us.
Also did a trip, but waited a day to go instead of rushing back from Christmas and frantically packing up. That was great too!
What didn’t work- we attempted a fancy Christmas eve dinner and it was too stressful.
Love this topic says
Worked: having my MIL in town! Yay extra hands with little kids.
Didn’t work: Catholic mass requirements when Christmas is on a Sunday. Also constant sickness and weather disruptions that left us home way too much.
NLD in NYC says
Happy New year all! Anyone use a 5 year planner with a calendar for each month? It’s this one: http://www.etsy.com/…/2024-2028-five-year-monthly-planner. It was monogramed so I can’t return it 😆, but unsure what to use it for. I could add school breaks for DS but don’t have a lot of other kid events. Apt dweller so no need to track when I need to do house stuff. Any other ideas, wise hive? TIA!
rakma says
Some version of a one-line a day/gratitude journal?
I’m so specific about the planner I like, I can’t think of a use for a monthly spread, and thinking about 2028 in any concrete way stresses me out.
Vacation time nudge says
Any strategies on getting a significant other (spouse, in my case) to actually take their allotted leave?
I get 25 vacation days per year and take them all (including years I had maternity leaves). I took my full mat leaves both times.
My husband gets around the same, and maybe takes…5 days? He worked every day between Christmas and New Year (admittedly, due to an emergency). He got 12 weeks fully paid paternity leave and only took 2 weeks. He’s not big law or similar, but he does have a busy job – but it’s more that he is terrible at planning to step away, or at actually getting his work done efficiently when he is working (so it ends up spilling over into weekends or planned time off).
I can handle the baby and toddler solo so that’s not the issue. But I do want more family adventures/vacations in our lives.
Anon says
This is a little unusual. He has remarkably good benefits but is choosing not to use them to a wild degree. I’ve known people who only take 10 days of vacation, but I have never really known anyone who has only taken five (when it’s paid). Honestly, I think you need to get a 15 -day trekking trip to New Zealand (or maybe somewhere with no cell service) on the calendar so it’s a “come to Jesus” trip for him. There’s more to life than this and he needs to see that. If he’s not interested in managing work better after that, then at least you’ll know.
Anonymous says
Plan it out now. He can block a week in august now.
Anonymous says
This. We usually reserve 5 days for emergencies and then plan the rest in January or February.
And you need to have a separate discussion about work spilling into weekends and planned time off if that is not part of work that he needs to be billing. I worked 12 hours yesterday and DH had to pinch hit for supper/bedtime solo but that was a rare occurrence. Generally since we’ve had kids I’ve had to draw some firmer boundaries about time off.
anon says
I can be this person. What has worked best for me is scheduling vacations way, way in advance so that I can plan projects around them. He has to be motivated to do it, though. (What often gets in my way is knowing that I will return to a pile of work.)
Anon says
Same. I’m planning a vacation for October now. My job has pretty extreme seasonality so I plan around that. Booking well in advance helps me fit into the scheduling seasonality.
Our household also has the added complication that my husband is in the reserves and we have to schedule around those activities as well.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Would he normally just leave money on the table? Because that’s what he’s doing with not taking the days he’s entitled to. He’s giving his employer free work. And at the end of the day, his employer does not care about him. I’ve known many many people who have worked at my company for 10+ years and sacrificed a lot who still get laid off for business needs. I think a discussion with him on priorities would help.
And I get the busy job part, but if his employer doesn’t plan for adequate coverage and back-up, that’s on them. I have busy seasons where I don’t take time off, but I know times of the year when things are slower, and plan vacations around that.
Anonymous says
You can handle the kids solo but why should you have to? Why does he feel entitled to not be an equal parent? Why is his job a higher priority than his kids?
Seems like a therapy issue for me.
Anon says
I agree with this. OP, your post reads like you don’t expect anything real to change (him becoming an equal parent) but you’re hoping to make a difference around the margins. There’s something deeper at play here.
OOO says
Go on family trips without DH. You can give him the opportunity to provide input on the location and dates, and give him as much advance notice as he needs, but if he doesn’t want to join it’s his choice and he will miss out. My DH was like this and this is what my therapist suggested.
Anon says
It sounds like she’s already taking 20 days of vacation without him. That’s already a lot.
Anon says
+1 I enjoy travel much more than my husband so I take our kid on a couple of mother-daughter trips each year, and also take vacations solo and with my mom. But 20 days is a ton, and I wouldn’t want to spend that much vacation time without my husband.
Anonymous says
I’d personally sooner get a divorce than plan a family vacation that my husband gets to opt in or out of on a whim! Like. Expect more ladies. Get a divorce and he gets the kids for his summer two weeks and has to figure it out and you get to traipse about Greece solo.
Anon says
+1.
A says
Yup. There is no way in hell I’d give my husband a kid-free vacation at home (which would be the result of me traveling with kids but not him) that he chooses to work through. Nope nope nope. He needs to take the PTO, some to relieve you so you can work or travel with friends or whatever without kids, and some so you can travel together as a family. The not taking paternity leave is obviously related but absolutely unfathomable to me (and not fixable going forward) so I can’t even address it.
IMO, and this sounds super harsh, he is working to avoid his family. It sounds like it’s not a requirement if his job (biglaw, ER doc, whatever) but rather a choice (though even in biglaw it’s a choice, just a lucrative choice). Maybe not consciously but that is the effect. I would not be happy with that long term. I’m not sure what the solution is but I think you are in “major reset” territory not “little nudges” territory.
Anon says
This seems like a much bigger issue. For some reason he has decided to be a less effective worker (ie lazy) which results in spending less time with his family and results in you doing more of the child care. Either he is doing this without realizing it or he is doing it on purpose and either way it needs it be addressed that he is choosing to waste time at work/not plan well over time with your kids and you.
Anon says
I just sort of plan it and tell my husband what we’re doing.
I also travel with our kid without him quite a bit (1-2 weeks a year) and I do enjoy that, but I want some family vacations too.
Not sure how old your kids are but once they’re in K-12 school that helps a lot because you have default weeks for school breaks.
Anon says
Does he have perfectionism issues? If so he needs to work on those. Also get a bunch of vacations on the calendar now.
Anonymous says
There are two separate issues here that I think you need to address in different ways.
The weekends issue makes me think: Does he have friends and hobbies? If not, he needs to invest in these things for his own well being, as well as yours. Doing so might also shift his perspective on weekends.
The vacation time issue is harder, depending on your travel budget. My DH can be like this, unless we’re visiting his family and/ or actually getting on a plane to go somewhere. He really has to be in a different place mentally and physically in order to take the time. But jetting off to the beach isn’t always an option.
Emma says
Fun toddler moment of the day – my daughter has taken to throwing her sippy cup on the floor a lot. I’m trying to teach her not to throw stuff, so I’m saying no and shaking my finger in my sternest tone. Well this morning she threw the cup, then looked at me very seriously and immediately went “NONONO” while shaking her finger in a perfect and very sassy imitation of me. Then she erupted in a fit of giggles. So much for teaching her manners, but I was laughing too.
Hope everyone had fun with their kids over the holidays! I did, but am also very thankful that our daycare is open today…
Waffles says
I love this.
Anonymous says
If you’re looking for an alternative tactic….calmly picking it up and saying “cup stays on the table” works better. Shes now looking for your hilarious reaction. Make it a non-issue.
Emma says
Thanks, I might try that. Clearly the current strategy isn’t yielding the expected results!
Cerulean says
Yes, I’ve found generally that telling my toddler what *to* do (rather than what not to do) tends to be more effective.
Toddler “no”s with finger wagging are hilarious! My kid has taken to saying “no thank you [her own name]” to herself after mischievous behavior, which I think she picked up from school.
Anon says
Lol kids will make a mockery of all our best intentioned parenting strategies!
(And with toddlers, it’s 95% about prevention…they don’t have the impulse control to totally “learn” and stop themselves. You could try giving it to her for a sip and then taking it back.)
Cb says
Oh no… we were steps from the science centre this morning when my husband texted that he had a positive Covid test (he left for the office while we still sleeping, felt rubbish, and nipped into pharmacy for a test). The grandmas were about to board a train to us when he called to let them know and they have bailed. T is so, so sad. I had a fun Friday booked as part of my in law avoidance strategy but figure I am also positive and don’t want to share germs in the yoga class/gallery! How are we still doing this 4 years on??
Anonymous says
Honestly we aren’t. You can if you want but most people are not testing and would have just gone to the science center. I have no issue with people choosing to be more cautious but it is a choice you are making and you have agency over.
Anon says
I don’t know about “most people” doing what you say. My office had a mini-outbreak stemming from the holiday party and every single person who got it or was directly exposed isolated/followed guidelines until testing negative. This is among a crowd that otherwise is “back to normal” in all respects. I was honestly surprised.
Cb says
I grabbed a n95 at the pharmacy and we went. This was our 3rd attempt to go, and I couldn’t disappoint my kid again.
It was weirdly quiet given schools don’t go back til Monday.
Anon says
This is where we’re at too. We were incredibly cautious for a long time but when I finally got Covid a few months ago it was indistinguishable from a cold and with a young kid it isn’t practical to test for every cold, so I doubt we’ll even know the next time we have it. We do stay home when we’re running a fever or having GI symptoms, and we wear masks in public when we have cold/Covid symptoms.
Anon says
Ah that stinks for all of you. (But silver lining is…no in-laws?) Covid still has an ominous air about it, but it’s becoming a common illness that’s here to stay. What would you do if your husband called and said he had flu, or strep or a stomach bug? It is prudent to try to keep your germs to yourself as much as possible, but that’s for all contagious illnesses
Cb says
It’s true! We wouldn’t expose anyone to anything serious. That’s a helpful reframing! And my 2nd MIL won’t be able to come on the rescheduled date and she’s the one who really drives me batty :)
Anonymous says
Well…we aren’t, but also, we always have been. If this were 5 years ago and your husband had a nasty virus/cold like strep or the flu , he’d have called the grandmas and they wouldn’t have come, right? We’ve always had colds and been sick.
Anonymous says
We are stuck with daycare rules, which come from the local health department. So, we’re still testing (and daycare staff notice every little sniffle), and we’ve calendared out the next two months so we’re prepared for being stuck trying to work at home and keep up with meetings, hearings, etc. for a month when we all get Covid one by one (kiddo can’t go back if anyone in the household is still in their isolation period, which makes zero sense if she’s already through her own 10-day isolation period). I honestly feel like Charlie Brown getting the football pulled away – the health department has tightened the requirements every time we get close to the goal line. First we had to deal with extra quarantine/isolation because kiddo wasn’t vaxxed. Then we had to deal with extra quarantine/isolation because she was too young to mask. Now we have to deal with extra quarantine/isolation because we need to protect older adults in the community…who aren’t masking or getting vaxxed or really doing anything to protect themselves.
Anonymous says
Lie. “YUp we tested her she is negative.”
Anonymous says
Wow.
We have to show proof of a negative test anyway.
Anon says
That’s crazy! Where do you live? I don’t know anyone who still has to test or isolate just because of sick family members.
I do think requiring someone who actually tests positive to stay home for 5 days and mask for another 5 (per CDC) is sensible and reasonable.
sleep training advice says
My fourth kid is breaking us on sleep. She’s 2.5 and can officially climb out of her crib. She also shares a room with our four year old so I don’t love the loud cries in the middle of the night. She wakes up and wants a parent to hold her on the couch and ends up hysterically crying if we don’t come. Tips for sleep training at this age? We’re going to set up a twin for her this weekend but I don’t think it’ll help. She’s started ending up in our bed just so we can all sleep but I don’t want to cosleep! I feel like what worked on a 6 month old or 1 year old is just not working on our very clever 2.5 year old!
Anon says
Nothing but commiseration here. My almost 2.75yo has always been the worst sleeper and is still up twice a night (he jumped his crib long ago and is in a twin, so at least I can lie down with him at night). There are a lot of “gentle” sleep training options for toddlers that seem to take a long while (sit on the bed for a week, sit in the chair for a week, sit at the door, etc) but I think they’ll work better than a CIO option for a kid who is vocal and can move. (Plus, there’s a reason we never did CIO when he was younger.)
I’m finally existing the first trimester slog with my fourth (who I hope and pray is a better sleeper!!) so I may actually have the patience to implement it.
OP says
Ahh another with four! Well, fourth kids are impressive. good luck!
We’ve tried sitting in a chair or outside but she just runs over to us! And now she’s out of the crib she’s pounding on the door! I have no idea what to do on this kid! Best of luck with your own sleep training!
Anonymous says
Would she sleep on a sleeping bag on your floor? That might be a workable compromise if nothing else works.
Anon says
My son is about 3.5 and I told him he couldn’t get his big boy bed until he could reliably stay in his bed like a big boy. We have had a hatch since he was a baby and we spent about a week practicing not getting out of the bed until it turns green at 6:30. Most mornings I hear him open his door to come get us at 6:31 so I know he’s laying there waiting.
He’s always been a good sleeper and fairly compliant
Toddler sleep says
Ugh I’m so sorry! Our 2.5 year old started climbing out of his crib when we brought home our newborn. It was the WORST sleep issue we’ve had and way harder than with a baby.
We eventually used “the wave,” and walking him back to his bed 1000 times silently. It will get better, but commiseration as that was a very low point in my parenting journey.
Anonymous says
This strategy can definitely backfire but you can make bed more fun by keeping things she likes to play with in the bed. My 3yo is not great about sleep, but she will at least stay in her toddler bed most of the time if she’s given a pile of books. She “reads” them and sings. It’s about 50-50 whether or not she naps with the books in her bed, but she gets some quiet time at least. At night she falls asleep on her own when she’s done with the books.
SF says
happy sleeper has a toddler plan called reverse ladder that you can probably find online.
Anonymous says
ADHD moms!
I have posted on and off about my now 7.5 year old second grade daughter. For most of her life, and up until about July of this year, we’ve struggled a LOT with ADHD behavior. We hit a critical point in May of this past year, and scheduled her for a neuropsych eval– the earliest they could see her was November.
Well, school started this fall and she was a whole new kid. I mean, the personality and underlying tendencies are still there, but she is functional in a way she was not. No completely out of control meltdowns. No super distracting fidgeting at school or at the table. She can sit through a meal. She can get herself up and ready for school. In any case, we called the neuropsych and bumped the appointment, especially since it’s $3500 and DH’s company has a new benefit that will cover half of it in 2024! Now it’s January and the appointment is next week.
When we originally made the appointment, it was to screen her, get some practical advise on if medication was warranted, and get the paperwork in place for accommodations at school (her 1st grade teacher had essentially been treating her as if she had accommodations in place- let her go walk around in the halls, gave her fidgets, etc). Now…her 2nd grade teacher believed me, but was genuinely confused when I asked about fidgeting, accommodations, etc. Apparently she’s a focused, model student who is “on the antsier side of normal, and a little giggly when in certain friend mixes, but completely and totally normal.” I know both of her teachers well and I think they just experienced a very different child. My kid still blows up, but can cool off and take a breath and doesn’t LOSE HER EVERLOVING SHIT like she used to. She still gets “stuck” on things, but recognizes it more.
I’m going into this appointment sort of confused about what we need now. Just an official diagnosis? Or not? Are we wasting everyone’s time (it’s a lot of time- four different appointments)? Do we want to get her Officially Labeled now so we can go back to it if we need it? Because there is no question of medication now; she’s doing great.
Anonymous says
Can you postpone until the fall? That keeps you in the 2024 year and you can see if it is just magic teacher or sustained improvement over the summer?
Not sure how referrals work and if this means you need a new referral? In Canada you need a new PCP referral if have not seen provider in last year (unless you want to pay out of pocket).
anon says
This is a good idea. But you do definitely want to keep the appointment on the books. The combination of ADHD and typical pre-teen development can be a real head-spinner for everyone involved, and she may need way more help in, say, 18 months than she does today. Which would be a lot easier to get with the groundwork laid.
That or she will not meet the diagnostic criteria, which tells you that, if things get rough again in the future, it might be worth thinking more broadly about other causes (trauma, anxiety, ASD, etc.). So it’s not a waste of your time either way.
Anonymous says
This is awesome and sounds like she just needed to mature! Honestly. I think so many kids are misdiagnosed with ADHD in K/1st grade because we’re pathologizing normal immature kid behavior.
Anon says
I think so too, and I say that as someone with a kindergartner who checks a lot of ADHD boxes. I think at young ages there’s just a huge range of emotional maturity and we’re too quick to label kids who are at the lower end.
Anon says
I think a seasoned teacher’s perspective is important because they see sooooo many kids in many ranges of behavior. I have a similar situation with my 8yo, who has been INTENSE since birth (so much of your description resonated with me, OP). I brought up potential ADHD in a convo with his teacher, who emphatically told me she thinks he is a very normal 8yo boy. They all roll on the floor and get aggressive, but my son can switch it off and focus when it matters, and is a good kid in the classroom.
I’m not saying to discount mom instincts (we see another side of them at home, so I am still keeping my eyes open and this in the back of my mind). But we have seen a lot of growth with maturity, too. The current culture of “hustle and fill all your time, but also sit at a desk for 8 hours and watch lots of screens” is doing our kids no favors, and making it hard for them to regulate in ways that kids of previous generations had access to.
anona says
Seconding this, but from the flip side. When we got my kids evaluated it was after multiple teachers told us “this is reasonably normal 4/5/6yo behavior, but the frequency at which it happens is completely off the charts”.